Andhra chase 201 as Abhishek, Rasheed power Ranji win over Tamil Nadu
Andhra chase 201 as Abhishek, Rasheed power Ranji win over Tamil Nadu
Andhra edge closer to an outright Ranji win against Tamil Nadu as Abhishek Reddy and Rasheed star in a tense chase on day three in Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam hosted a dramatic Ranji Trophy day as Andhra chased 201 to beat Tamil Nadu by six wickets on day three of the Elite Group A match at the ACA-VDCA Stadium. Tamil Nadu had been bowled out for 195 in their second innings after resuming at 102/3, with Saurabh Kumar claiming four scalps to curtail the visitors. The stage was set for Andhra to close in on an outright win, buoyed by Shaik Rasheed’s unbeaten 87 from the previous day which had already signaled belief in the home side.
Abhishek Reddy then anchored the chase with a polished 70 off 75 balls, sharing a 72-run second-wicket stand with Karan Shinde, who contributed 51 off 64. Andhra navigated a nervy middle phase as they slipped from 158/2 to 162/6, with Tamil Nadu’s spin duo of Sai Kishore and Vidyuth making life difficult on a pitch that offered uneven bounce. Reddy’s boundaries, however, kept the chase alive, while Raju (20 not out) and Ashwin Hebbar (21 not out) steadied the innings and steered Andhra home with six wickets in hand.
The day had begun with Tamil Nadu pegging back Andhra in the first session of the chase, but the hosts’ late flourish turned the narrative. Rashid’s earlier enterprise — a reminder of the high ceiling in Andhra’s lineup — combined with Reddy’s decisive boundary striking to push the chase over the line. The win keeps Andhra firmly in contention in Group A, highlighting their capacity to convert compact starts into a match-winning performance on a tricky surface.
Cover image source: Ranji Trophy | Mumbai tightens the noose around Himachal 🔗
